Motion-picture apparatus



N. T. WHITAKER.

MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 11. I911.

Patented J an. 27, 1920.

mam 5mm mwmw NORMAN T. WHITAKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MOTION-PICTURE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an. 2'? 1920.

Application filed April 17, 1917. Serial No. 162,712.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN T. WHITAKER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motion-Picture Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a motion picture apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus which will show a numbering system to spectators.

The object of the invention is to enable those in the audience of a motion picture theater and observers outside the theater to ascertain at any time just how far the film has traveled and the status of the play. It is often desirable, when seeing motion pictures, to know when the end of the reel is near and how many reels there are in the play. Frequently, one upon entering a motion picture theater would like to know if the reel is nearly finished and how long the play is, or perhaps he may wish to leave at a certain time but would stay somewhat longer if he knew there were only a few feet more of the film to be shown. I have pro.- vided two exhibitors suitably connected and geared with the projecting machine, one eX- hibitor outside the motion picture theater to enable observers to ascertain the exact status of the play and the other exhibitor is placed upon the stage of the motion picture theater to give the audience the same information. Both exhibitors are operated by the motion picture operator in the projetting booth. Obviously, the mechanism for accomplishing this result may be varied in a number of diiferent ways, or the numbering system may be changed.

The invention resides in an attachment that can be adjusted to any standard projecting machine. The attachment is readily connected to the projecting machine and is slipped under the driving gear of the machine and clamped in place by a wing or thumb nut.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, the invention being more fully described hereinafter andthen pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a v ew showing. the projecting machine, the reducing gear and the electrical connections.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged movable exhibitor.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the contact disk.

The numeral 10 designates a motion picture projecting machine. Handle 11 to operate the same is fastened on the end of the shaft 12. The machine has the usual aperture plate 13. On the other end of shaft 12 is a' gear 14 meshing with the usual gear 15.

The present invention partially resides in the attachment to said machine which will now be described. This attachment can be adapted to any make of standard machine. The attachment consists in a forked base 16 which straddles base 17 of projector 10. At the same time gear 21 of the attachment is slipped under gear 14 which is held therein by means of wing nut 18. A bearing 19 has shaft 20 mounted therein. On one end of shaft 20 is a pinion 21 meshing with gear 14. On the other end of shaft 20 is a reducing gear 22, the end of said shaft being mounted in an upright standard 23. In mesh with gear 22 is a corresponding reducing gear 24 which is mounted on shaft 25. On the other end of shaft 25 is a confront view of the tact disk 26 which will be hereinafter more fully described.-

Mountedin the base 16 are two binding posts 33 and 34. Also mounted in base 16 are two brushes 27 and 27', as shown in Fig. 8, said brushes resting against the contact disk 26. On contact disk 26 is disposed a metal segment 28 having an arc of approximately 60. TVhen the disk is rotated by the mechanism clearly shown and described, the segment 28 will be brought into contact with brushes 27 and 27 bridging the samewhich completes the circuit through binding posts 33 and 34 which are in circuit with brushes 27 and 27'.

The mechanism is so geared that when shaft 12 is rotated by the usual handle 11 twenty-five times, the reducing gear on the attachment has caused the disk 26 to turn five-sixths of a revolution. This is done by gears 22 and 24 respectively. At this point, the metal segment 28 has started a contact between the brushes 27 and 27 and continuing the bridging of the circuit while the handle 11 is turned five times more,

thereby turningthe contactdisk-'26 one 'complete revolution by the rotating handle 11 thirty times upon the completion of thirty revolutions of the handle 11 thirty feet of film will have passed through the machine 10. Obviously, any other ratio may be used.

The source of electrical supply is derived from a three-phase circuit as shown terminating at a branch block 35. Leaving branch block 35 are wires 36, 37 and 38. Wire 36 goes to binding post 33, wire 37 goes direct to motors 39 and 40. The circuit in these motors is completed by the bridging of the brushes, as described, thereby causing the motors to rotate. Current comes through the block 35, through the wire 38 to the lower end of circuit breaker 50, then through the reverse block 51 and continuing down to brush 54. At the end of the traveling roll a metal strip 52 presents itself, bridging the brushes 54, causing the circuit to be complete through 54, around and back to the block 35, through the wire 37, thereby causing a short circuit, throwing the circuit breaker 50. The object of the re versing strip is to reverse the direction of the motors 89 and 40. Geared to the motors 39 and 40 by belts 42 are pulleys 41. Two exhibitors operating by the two motors simultaneously by the same contact are shown. Belts 43 pass around pulleys 41 and around pulleys 44 and 45. Pulleys 44 and 45 are mounted on the outer ends of shafts 46 and 47 On shafts 46 and 47 is wound a perforated traveling sheet 48 similar in construction to a perforated music roll. The spools upon which this sheet is wound are rotated by a belt 43 passing over the pulleys 44 and 45. The traveling sheet 48 is provided with indicia.

The indicia consist in the following system: One line of the indicia, as clearly shown in Fig. 2,6,000 feetsignifies the length of a feature film. The phrase 6,000 feet now shownmeans that six thousand feet of the film have now traveled in the machine and have been projected on the screen. Obviously, the traveling sheet can be used for advertising purposes as denoted by the phraseEat Smiths good eats. The reason for showing two traveling sheets is that one is placed outside the motion picture theater and shows observers the exact status of the play which is being exhibited on the screen. The other roll is adapted to be placed on the stage of the theater to show the audience just how far the film has traveled or progressed, also telling thereby the length of the film, etc. The indicia or wording is shown by perforations on each ex ib tor by having a light 49 shining from behind thereof. The li ht derives its current from wires 37 and 38.

It will be seen that when every thirty feet of filmhas passed through the machine and p rtu e 1 i Consecutive ortion of the traveling sheet will be shown, that is, 30 feet; next will be shown feet, and so on until at the end of the traveling sheet the phrase 6,000 feet now shown will appear as in Fig. 2, and the traveling roll will be collected on the lower roll or take-up spool. Obviously, the indicia can-be shown for every ten, fifty or one hundred feet, or any other suitable length equally well.

The object of the 60 segment is to complete a circuit and hold it long enough that motors 89 and 40 may rotate long enough to cause the consecutive perforations in the sheet to enter into registry with the light every thirty feet. After the sheet wound on the upper spool, as shown,-6,000 feet, has traveled and collected on the bottom roller or take-up spool, it will be necessary to reverse the same or to rewind the sheet on the top roller. This is done by the motion picture operator in the following manner: Placed near the projecting machine 10 within reach of the operator is a circuitbreaker switch 50 which when thrown completes a circuit through reversing switch 51 which is connected to the motors 39 and 40. These motors are of such a type as to be affected by the reversing switch, thereby causing the said motors to reverse their motion. This will cause the sheet to be rewound. VJhen the sheet has been wound upon the bottom roller or take-up spool a metal strip 52 which is secured by clips or other means near the lower end of the sheet makes a contact between brushes 54 and 54, thereby producing a short circuit which will throw circuit breaker 50, as will be obvious.

The operation of the structure of the invention is as follows: One of the movable exhibitors or traveling sheets is connected to the outside of the motion picture theater, the other one is placed upon the stage of the motion picture theater. The attachment to the projecting machine is connected up to the projecting machine and the wiring is then completed. The operator by turning handle 11 operates the motion picture projecting machine and at the same time by my apparatus causes the two sheets to travel. The audience in the theater and the observers outside the theater are then advised at all times as to the exa t status of the play. After the whole sheet has been wound upon the lower or take-up spool, the roll is easily reversed by the operator reversing swit'h 51 and actuating the circuit-breaker 50. the switch 51' having been manually operated prior to the a tuation of circuit breaker 50 to cut out the short circuit through the metallic strip 52.

The apparatus can be attached to any motion picture projecting machine, is cheap to make and is s mple in operation.

From the fore oing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,

the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A changeable exhibitor comprising in combination a movable sheet provided with indicia, a motion picture projecting apparatus, and means connected to the sheet and motion picture projecting apparatus whereby the sheet will be intermittently moved.

2. The combination with a motion picture projecting apparatus, of an intermittently movable sheet provided with progressively varying indicia for indicating the progress of a film as the pictures are thrown upon a screen, and electri al means connectedto the motion picture projecting apparatus and the sheet whereby the sheet will be intermittently moved.

3. The combination with a motion picture projecting apparatus, of an intermittently movable sheet provided with progressively varying numerical indicia to indicate the total length of a film and the length of film that has been projected'upon a screen, and electrical means connected to the motion picture projeting apparatus and the master roll whereby the master roll will be intermittently moved.

4. The combination with a motion picture projecting apparatus, of an intermittently movable sheet, electrical means connecting the motion picture projecting apparatus and sheet whereby the sheet w ll be intermit tently moved when a predetermined length of the picture film has been unreeled.

5. The combination with a motion picture projecting apparatus. of an intermittently movable sheet, electrical means connecting the mot on picture projecting apparatus and sheet whereby the sheet will be intermittentlv moved when a predetermined length of the picture film has been unreeled, and automatic means for reversing the travel of said sheet.

6. The combination with a motion picture projecting apparatus. of an intermittently movable sheet, electrical means connecting the motion picture projectin apparatus and sheet whereby the sheet will be intermittently moved when a predetermined length of the picture film has been unreeled, and an electrically operated automatic means for reversin the travel of said sheet.

7. The combination with a motion picture projecting apparatus, of a plurality of intermittently movable sheets, and, electrical means connecting said motion picture apparatus with said sheets whereby said sheets will be intermittently moved.

8. The combination with a motion picture projecting apparatus, of a plurality of intermittently movable sheets, electrical means connecting said motion picture apparatus with said sheets whereby said sheets will be intermittently moved, and means for reversing the motion of said sheets.

9. The combination with a motion picture projecting apparatus, of a plurality of intermittently movable sheets, electrical means connecting said motion picture apparatus with said sheets whereby said sheets will be intermittently moved, means for reversing the motion of said sheets, and electrically operated automatic means for reversing the motion of said sheets.

10. The combination with a motion picture projecting apparatus of a plurality of intermittently movable sheets provided with progressively varying numerical indicia indicating the total length of the film and the length of the film that has been projected upon a screen, and electrically operated means for intermittently moving said film, the interval between the operation of the last named means being dependent upon the length of film projected upon the screen during the interval between the operation of said means.

11. The combination with a motion picture projecting apparatus of a plurality of intermittently movable sheets provided with progressively varying numerical indicia indicating the total length of the film and the length of the film that has been projected upon a screen, electrically operated means for intermittently moving said film, the interval between the operation of the last named means being dependent upon the length of film projected upon the screen during the interval between the operation of said means, and automatically operated electrical means for reversing the movement of said sheets, the latter named means being operated after a predetermined length of the film has been projected.

12. The combination with a motion picture projecting apparatus, of an intermittently movable sheet, a prime mover for moving said sheet, and means connecting said prime mover with the motion picture projecting apparatus whereby said sheet will be moved after a predetermined length of film has been projected.

13. The combination with a motion picture projecting apparatus, of an intermittently movable sheet, a prime mover for moving said sheet, means connecting said prime mover with the motion picture projecting apparatus whereby said sheet will be moved after a predetermined length of film has been projected, and means connecting said prime mover With the motion picture projecting apparatus whereby the movement of said sheet Will be reversed after a predetermined length of film has been projected.

14. The combination With a motion picture projecting apparatus, of an intermittently movable sheet, an electric motor for moving said sheet, electrically operable means for closing a circuit tl'irough said motor after a predetermined length of film has been projected, the operation of said means being dependent upon the operation oi. the motion picture projecting apparatus.

15. The combination With a motion picture projecting apparatus, of an intermittently movable sheet, an electric motor for moving said sheet, electrically operable means for closing a circuit through said motor after a predetermined length of film has been projected, the operation of said means being dependent upon the operation of the motion picture projecting apparatus, and means for reversing the movement of said sheet, the latter named means being operated after a predetermined length of film has been projected.

NORMAN T. l/VHITAKER. 

